Oregon AG cracks down on hotels along eclipse path

(Update: Adding listed hotels, details of Madras case)

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum on Friday urged visitors and Oregonians who have booked hotel rooms within the 90-mile path of total solar eclipse on August 21 to confirm their hotel reservations immediately — and warned hotels they must be fair in their dealings or face the consequences.

There has been an increase in Oregon Department of Justice consumer complaints from people who have had hotel reservations canceled, or have had their room rates double — or even triple — in price. It is estimated that as many as 1 million visitors could travel in Oregon for the first total solar eclipse in 38 years.

The Oregon DOJ recently sent letters warning of Oregon’s consumer protection laws to all hotels within the eclipse path, and to all hotels that have been the subject of a consumer complaint.

In the letter, hotels that may have increased the price of hotel rooms or canceled reservations were told to give the hotel-goer their originally booked room for the original price, or give at least $500 to each consumer.

“Travelers need to be able to trust that hotels will keep their reservation and honor the original price,” Rosenblum said. “While most hotels play by the rules, we are concerned that some could try to make money off of this unique event, and increase the price of the hotel room without telling the customer.

“We want to make sure travelers know that hotels must honor their advertised prices, regardless of whether the prices are advertised directly by the hotel, or with a third party,” she added.

Oregon DOJ is working with 12 Oregon hotels to resolve specific complaints involving consumers that had their reservations canceled or rates increased. So far, seven of these businesses have agreed to provide the originally booked room for the originally booked price.

According to files provided by the AG’s office to NewsChannel 21, letters were sent to four Lincoln City motels — the Sailor Jack Oceanfront Motel, Palace Inn and Suites, America’s Best Inn & Suites and the Liberty Inn — as well as the Super 8 Motel in Baker City, The Grand Hotel in Salem, the Stafford Inn in Portland, Motel 6 in Madras, Rodeway Inn in Sublimity and the Quality Suites Hotel in Keizer. (Some have more than one location.)

In the letter to Motel 6, Assistant Attorney General Ariel Dreher said the motel had “provided documentation that shows that 13 consumers reserved a room for a certain price and then were informed that that price would not be honored.”

It said the motel but provide each of the customers with either their originally booked room for the originally booked price, or send each a payment of $500 within 30 days.

It also says the motel must pay the state a $1,300 fine — $100 for each violation — also within 30 days — and must in the future obey Oregon’s Unlawful Trade Practices Act and honor all advertised prices, including by third parties.

Oregon’s Unlawful Trade Practice Act prohibits a business from making unlawful, false or misleading representations concerning the offering price of or a person’s cost for services. Booking a reservation for a consumer at a certain rate, followed by the hotel either cancelling or increasing that reservation rate constitutes a deceptive practice under the UTPA.

Visitors that encounter problems with hotel reservations should contact the Oregon Department of Justice’s consumer hotline by calling 877-877-9392 , or by filing a complaint online at https://justice.oregon.gov/complaints/ .